I got into your Sharpe series of books one dreary evening when I was 16 while doing my homework and looking for something good to “listen to” on the telly while I did and ended up on UK Gold where Sharpe’s Gold was being shown. I ended up neglecting my homework in favour of the programme and then begged my mum to buy me the sharpe books – I had the whole lot then published within 4 months. It was these books that inspired me to delve more into the Napoleonic War and I did a 4000 word extended essay on it at A-Level, using as source material a great number of the books that you reccommend. I’m now at the University of Kent (Canterbury) reading History with a view to teaching. Before I read your books on Richard Sharpe I wasn’t really aware of any “interesting” history taking place before 1900 and now the Napoleonic era is one of my favourites. Similarly after reading the Starbuck chronicles I became interested in the US Civil War and read up on it in fits and bursts (usually when I’ve just finished rereading the books) finding it strangely compelling. An immensely sad conflict, moreso than I ever realised and now I feel sorry for the South (and especially Robert E. Lee because he would never get his citizenship back) right from the beginning of Rebel because I know they are going to lose and I so badly want Starbuck to be able to win. I suppose I see in him the teenage me looking for a place to fit in. I apologise for the legnth of this ramble, I just want to communicate how much pleasure and enjoyment I get out of your novels. When I’m commuting to London for a holiday job and reading Copperhead suddenly Victoria will vanish and I’ll be watching Nate struggling to survive. Please keep up the good work and bring Starbuck back from holiday one day – I want to know how he ends up…I hope you don’t kill him off (though as the author it’s certainly your perogative ;)) I wait eagerly for your next release to add to my collection (even though my fiance thinks I should spend my money on things other than hardback books). Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope to tear myself away from the History reference books and come and see you at the NAM in October to get one of my books signed. Thank you, Elizabeth